Mobile Communications

Overview

Lecturer:

Michael O'Grady

Course:

MSc Ubiquitous & Multimedia Systems

Unit:

Context Sensitive Service Delivery

Lecture:

Outline

Introduce some basic wireless

concepts
Describe the evolution of cellular
telecommunications networks
Reflect on the services supportd by
cellular networks
Consider the issue of standardization
in wireless communications

Recall: PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network
Concatenation of the interconnected Networks operated by
the various telephone companies (telcos) and public utility
companies (PTTs) throughout the world
Originally Later -

human operated (plugboards), analogue

signal
Electromechanical switches

Today -

Automated, digital

But

the so-called last mile problem

Recall: PLMN
Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)
Operated by either government agency or
government appointed
company.
Objective is to deliver services to those
members of the public who are mobile.
May be considered an extension or an
integral part of the PSTN.
Uses Wireless technologies.

Advantages of Wireless

Constant connection
Access to up-to-date information
Minimum installation issues
Freedom to roam
Scalability
No cables
Extensibility e.g remote areas with
satellite

Disadvantages of Wireless

Careful planning of network essential

Environment generally hostile
Security
Safety
spectrum licenses
poor data rates
cost (domain dependant)

Some Historical Developments

Origins debatable but .

1887 - Hertz demonstrates EM waves

1896 - Marconi demonstrates wireless
telegraph apparatus
1901 - First radio signal across the
Atlantic (Cornwall to Newfoundland)
1914 - First wireless voice transmission
1946 - PSTN augmented with wireless
1947 - Cellular Network proposed

Why Cellular?
Originally proposed by D. H. Ring in an
unpublished paper.
Why?

Potential for existing systems to expand

was severely limited.

How?

Reuse frequencies so as to maximize the

use of the available radio spectrum thus
improving scalability.

Note: This issue will be revisited when the GSM architecture is discussed.

Standardization
Advantages include

accelerates the availability of new equipment and

services
lowers costs through increased competition
ensures reliability of supply
ensures interoperability

De Jure

defined by industry groups or government agencies

De Facto

established as the result of a product dominating the

market

1G - Characteristics
Analogue transmission technology
Pioneered semiconductor and
microprocessor technology
Focus on voice
Data services almost non-existent
Incompatible standards
Different frequencies and signaling
International roaming impossible

Inefficient use of the radio spectrum

1G - NTT
Nippon Telephone & Telegraph (NTT)
Now NTT DoCoMo

1979
Tokyo
Worlds first operational cellular
system

1G - NMT-450
Nordic Mobile Telephone 450
1982
Sweden
First wireless communications
standard deployed in Europe
Pioneered the use of light portable
handsets
Supported international roaming

1G - AMPS
Advanced Mobile Phone System
(AMPS)
1982
USA
Mandated (FCC) as the standard to
which all operators in the USA had
to adhere to.

1G - TACS

Total Access Coverage (TACS)

1985
UK
Adaptation of AMPS
Complies with frequency allocation
in Europe

1G - Network Access Technique

Frequency Division Multiple Access
(FDMA)
Subdivides the available spectrum
into a number of frequency slots
Each user is assigned a separate
frequency.

1G - Services
Standard voice
No data services
No supplementary services
Call barring

The 1G Landscape

A series of incompatible networks

Limited capacity for expansion
Limited support for roaming
Susceptible to interference
Poor security
No support for wireless data
No third party applications

Solution: 2G
Digital techniques rather than analogue
Increased flexibility
error control
compression

More efficient use of available

bandwidth
Increased compatibility with the fixed
component of the PSTN
Increased quality of service
Possibility of wireless data services

2G - GSM
Global System for Mobile
Communication (GSM)
Conceived in 1982
Deployed in 1992 in Europe
European Telecommunications
Standards Institute (ETSI)
Most successful 2G system
863 million users in 197 countries

2G - D-AMPS
Digital Advanced Mobile Phone
Service (DAMPS)
Also called IS-54 (Interim Standard 54)

1991
Dual mode terminals ensuring
backward compatibility
IS-136 introduced in 1996
Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA) TR-45 Committee

2G - IS-95

Interim Standard 95 (IS-95)

Also called cdmaOne
1993
USA
Qualcomm Inc.
Pioneered the use of the network
access technique CDMA

2G - PDC

Personal Digital Cellular (PDC)

1991
Japan
Two modes
Full-rate
Half-rate

12% of global digital subscriptions in

1999.

2G - Network Access Technique

Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

Users share a frequency band by multiplexing

their transmissions in time

In practice ..

Available spectrum is divided into frequency

channels (recall FDMA!)
Each frequency channel is further subdivided
into cyclic timeslots (1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3 )
A call is assigned a time slot

2G - Services
Depends on
Network standard
Operator policies

Improved standard telephony

(speech)
Basic wireless data
Additional services
Call barring

Example: GSM Services

Teleservices
Speech
Emergency calls
Short Message Service (SMS)

Bearer Services
Telefax
Basic data (9.6kb/s)

Supplementary Services
Call forwarding
Call barring

2G - 3G Transition Driver?

Higher data bandwidth requirement

anticipated subscriber demand for

audio/Video streaming
other multimedia services
collaborative services
location services

Possibility of third party applications

being developed

Recall: Circuit v Packet

Switching
Circuit Switched ..

A dedicated channel is established for

the duration of a call

Packet Switched

A message is subdivided into packets

which are sent individually and may
follow different routes to their
destination. The packets are then used
to reassemble the original message.

3G - Migration Strategies
Migrate straight to 3G

This approach is being take by some operators

in Japan (PDC) and the USA (IS-95)

Migrate incrementally to 3G

Operators progressively and incrementally

incorporate a number of technologies into
their networks
This approach is taken by operators in both
Europe and the USA
This strategy is sometimes referred to as 2.5G

2.5G - HSCSD (GSM)

High Speed Circuit Switched Data
(HSCSD)
Uses existing GSM infrastructure and
interface
Data rates of up to 57.6 kb/s (4
channels @ 14.4 kb/s)
Inefficient for certain types of
application

2.5G - GPRS (GSM)

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)

Introduces packet switching to GSM
Always-on
Uses multiple timeslots (channels)
14.4 kb/s per channel
Maximum of 115.2 kb/s

Dynamic resource allocation

Supports IP
Billing per KB, NOT per sec.

2.5G - EDGE (GSM)

Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution
(EDGE)
Maximum 384 kb/s
8 Phase Shift Keying (8PSK)
Send more bits down the line
3 fold increase over GSM

Two classes of handset:

Class A (EDGE only on downlink)
Class B ( EDGE on uplink and downlink)

2.5G - D-AMPS (IS-136+)

Two phase migration path

IS-136+

Integrate GPRS
Note: packet switching already supported by
Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD)!

IS-136 High Speed Outdoor

Integrate EDGE

Subscribers can roam between IS-136HS

and GSM networks supporting EDGE

2.5G - IS-95B (IS-95)

Enhanced version of IS-95
Already supports packet switching
(CDPD)
Maximum of 115.2 (8 channels @
14.4kb/s)
Realistically
28.8 kb/s to 57.6 kb/s on downlink
14.4 kb/s on uplink

2.5G - Services
Standard services that can use
packet switching:
WWW browsing
email
file downloading e.g. mp3
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)

3G - The IMT2000 Initiative

Conceived in 1986
Sought to define a single world-wide
standard for accessing the global
telecommunications infrastructure from
both terrestrial and satellite mobile
systems
Problem: backward compatibility
So five standards approved for the air
interface!

3G - Air Interface Standards I

IMT-DS (Direct Spread), also known as

Wideband CDMA Frequency Division
Duplex (W-CDMA-FDD).
IMT-TC (Time Code) or W-CDMA Time
Division Duplex (W-CDMA-TDD).
IMT-MC (Multi-Carrier) or CDMA2000.
IMT-SC (Single Carrier), also known as
EDGE or UWC-136.
IMT-FT (Frequency
sytems e.g. DECT

Time),

for

cordless

3G - Interface Standards II
Radio-Interface Standard

Cellular Network

Standards Organisation

IMT-DS

GSM, PDC

3GPP

IMT-TC

D-AMPS

3GPP

IMT-MC

IS-95, PDC

3GPP2

IMT-SC

Any TDMA Network

UWCC

Table1:3Ginterfacestandardsforthepredominant2Gnetworks.

3G - Principal Requirements - I
Support for voice quality comparable
with fixed line networks;
Support for both circuit-switched and
packet-switched data services;
Support for roaming between
different IMT-2000 operators;
Support for greater capacity and
improved spectrum efficiency;

3G - Principal Requirements - II
A data rate of 144 kb/s for users
moving quickly e.g. moving vehicles;
A data rate of 384 kb/s for pedestrians;
A data rate of 2 Mb/s in a low mobility
or office environment.
Note how a network using GPRS and
EDGE meets most of these criteria!

3G - Network Access Technique

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
Signal is modulated with high bandwidth
spreading waveforms called signature
waveforms or codes. Subscribers may
submit at the same frequency and time but
signal separation is facilitated via the
signature waveform
In contrast with TDMA
More robust
Less susceptible to fading & interference

3G Networks

2G Network
GSM
PDC
IS-95
DAMPS

3G Successor
UMTS
CDMA2000
CDMA2000
IS-136HS or UMTS

Example: 3G Services (UMTS)

Universal Mobile Telephone System
(UMTS)
Four QoS classes of services
Conversational Class
Voice, video telephony,video gaming

Streaming Class
multimedia, video on demand, webcast

Interactive Class
WWW browsing, database access, online gaming

Background Class
email, SMS, file downloading

Quality of Service (QoS)

the collective effect of service performances which
determine the degree of satisfaction of a user of a
service ITU G1000 specification
Telecommunications World
QoS encapsulates all aspects of a service that determine
the degree of satisfaction with that service.

IP World
QoS implies guaranteed bandwidth
Pronunciation check: QoS == kwoz

QoS: Network v Customer

Network performance
Packet loss, transmission delay, bit
error rates, call set-up times, etc

But customer interpretation?

Thus Q.800 suggests:
Focus on effects as perceived by customer
No assumptions about network design
All aspects of the service considered (from
customer perspective)
Network independent terms used
Can be assured to a user by a service provider

3.5G
UMTS
High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)

14 Mbps (but 1 Mbps per subscriber!)

Incremental upgrade
More functionality in Node B
Backward compatible with W-CDMA

High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)

Other Technologies
OFDN, WiMAX, etc, etc

4G- Some Speculations

Global Mobility
Increased data rates..100Mbps?
All IP network
When?

Standardisation - ITU
Founded in 1865 in Paris by 20
European countries

interconnection issues
equipment standardization
uniform instructions for operating equipment
accounting procedures and rules

Today, affiliated with the UN

500 new or revised recommendations
every year!

Structure of the ITU

Telecommunications Standardization
(ITU-T)
specifications for systems networks and services

Radiocommunications (ITU-R)
specifies technical characteristics of terrestrial
and space based wireless services and systems

Telecommunications Development (ITUD)

reports, guidelines and recommendations for
developing countries

Wireless Standardization
Recall IMT2000 vision
Two global partnerships comprising a
number of traditional standardization
bodies
Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
Concerned with EDGE & UMTS advancement

Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2)

Concerned with CDMA advancement

Note that membership not mutually

exclusive!

3GPP - Organizational Partners

Organisation
Association of Radio Industries and

Region

URL

Japan

http://www.arib.or.jp

China

http://www.cwts.org

Europe

http://www.etsi.org

Committee T1 (T1)

USA

http://www.t1.org

Telecommunications Technology Association

Korea

http://www.tta.or.kr

Japan

http://www.ttc.or.jp

Businesses (ARIB)
China Wireless Telecommunications
Standard Group (CWTS)
European Telecommunications Standards
Institute (ETSI)

(TTA)
Telecommunications Technology Committee
(TTC)

3GPP2 - Organizational Partners

Organisation

Region

URL

Association of Radio Industries and

Japan

http://www.arib.or.jp

China

http://www.cwts.org

USA

http://www.tiaonline.org

Korea

http://www.tta.or.kr

Japan

http://www.ttc.or.jp

Businesses (ARIB)
China Wireless Telecommunications
Standard Group (CWTS)
Telecommunications Industry Association
(TIA)
Telecommunications Technology Association
(TTA)
Telecommunications Technology Committee
(TTC)

Summary
Introduced wireless communications
Described the evolution of the various
generations of cellular networks
Described the services supported by
the various networks and the issues
effecting their deployment
Briefly introduced the issue of
standardization

Review Questions
Compare and contrast the three
generations of mobile networks.
Trace the evolution of services from 1G
to 3G.
Identify the advantages and
disadvantages of circuit switched and
packet switched data services from both
an operator and subscriber perspective.
What benefits do standardization bring
to network operators? Subscribers?

The End